paleo

Another cookie recipe?? I promise this is the last one for a while. I’m going baking crazy!

It’s been a short while since I stopped making baby food. My youngest is almost two and eats pretty much everything now, with the exception for egg whites. And poison. I’m a good mom like that.

My nephew/god-son is almost a year old and my sister was looking for a recipe she could make for him, so I whipped up this modification of my Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies, making it baby friendly. The cookies are light and fluffy, just a touch sweet and absent of the top common allergens.

Parents have long been advised to avoid feeding egg whites to babies under one year old, as the proteins are large and difficult to digest. Egg whites are one of the top 8 most allergenic foods. Sometime last year, my pediatrician shared with me that due to this 2010 study conducted by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, parents are now being advised that egg whites are okay as early four months old. It kind of made me never want to return to her office.

My toddler has had eczema since he was born, and one of the triggers is undoubtedly eating egg whites. Whether or not he has an allergy I do not know, we have not gone through the painful skin testing procedure for him. But I definitely would not feel comfortable feeding any baby egg white, regardless of what one study concludes.

Long story short – this recipe uses egg yolk only.

I have also omitted the chocolate chips and coconut palm sugar. The bananas provide just enough sweetness for a baby to enjoy. Please note that this recipe is not recommended for babies until they are one year old. I wrote a little about how babies are not able to digest grains in my post Why We Skipped Baby Cereals. The necessary enzyme, amylase, is not present in the pancreas until the molars come in which is typically around 13 – 16 months. I realize it is impossible to be perfect and often times baby gets a taste or two of treats which are less than ideal for a new tummy to handle. These cookies are a much healthier option for a special treat so keep them on hand at your next get-together or party!

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It’s the end of the growing season here in Chicago, and I have tomatoes coming out my ears. Instead of passing them off to my neighbors, who mostly all have their own tomato jungles, I have been trying to use them up as they ripen. What better way to do this than making tomato soup from scratch! My 6 year old is an extremely picky eater with several food allergies. I am always trying to get him to eat soup because bone broth is so healing to the gut, which will help with his allergies. We had some amazing tomato soup from Ted’s Montana Grill a few months ago. If you ever get a chance to go there, I recommend it. They have paper straws there which I thought was really cool. Until my toddler literally ate one. He’s been eating non-food items lately, like a plastic bag at the grocery store. Sure, there was a tasty apple inside that plastic, but still. I think he is becoming part goat.

But this post is about soup. Ever since we ate that delicious tomato soup from the restaurant with the paper straws, my son has been asking me for tomato soup. When that happens (like never) I will move the earth to get him that soup.

Up until these last two weeks, I had never made tomato soup before. I was kind of disgusted for life by Campbell’s soup until that restaurant rocked our soup lovin’ world. I tried making it three different times before finally settling on an awesome recipe that was a hit in the home. The first time I made it, it felt like it took all day. Chopping and coring the tomatoes, roasting them, blending them, straining them… well, yeah. It takes a long time. But it’s sooo good!

And let’s keep it on the down-low that there’s veggies in here, because my son has a history of gagging on carrots and other friendly vegetables. It must be a texture thing, but when it’s pureed up in a lovely tomato soup, down the hatch it goes!

As I mention above, this soup is a multi-step process. First the tomatoes must be roasted to remove the skins. Here is how I did it:

First, preheat the broiler. I did mine on high, but prepare to really watch your tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes in half and remove the core and most of the seeds. Place them cut side down on a greased cookie sheet with a rim, or in my case a foil tray because I do not own a cookie sheet with a rim. It would be best to use larger tomatoes because it will cut down on your chopping time, however we only had cherry tomatoes and so that is what I used.

Put the tomatoes in the oven for about ten minutes. Again, really watch them to make sure they don’t get destroyed. Once the skin becomes a little black, take them out and let them cool. You can remove the skin by simply pulling it off once it is cool to touch. Throw the skins away, or compost them if you are that amazing.

I immediately threw the tomato flesh in the blender and blended it up.

Next you want to start getting the actual soup ready. In a stock pot or other large pot, melt some butter or coconut oil. I used about 3 tablespoons. Add about a whole chopped onion and a clove of garlic, chopped, into the pot to saute.

Once the onions become translucent, pour three cups of chicken bone broth. Once that has melted (because good broth gels in the fridge), it is time to strain the pureed tomatoes into the pot. More tomato steps?! These tomatoes are high maintenance. I placed a metal mesh strainer on top of my pot and gently pressed the tomato mixture through, leaving the seeds behind, which I discarded.

Next I added some cauliflower and carrots and let it simmer for about an hour. The cauliflower is great in this recipe because it offers a bit of creaminess without using coconut or dairy ingredients. Some members of my family have a strong sense of taste and can pick out the tiniest bit of coconut. Once I made Carrot Ginger Chicken Soup with coconut milk… it didn’t go too well.

Once the veggies are soft, add your fresh basil and spices per the recipe below. Allow the spices to meld while the soup cools. My husband ate it before I put it back in the blender and pureed it. My kids and I ate it blended. It was liked by all!

Do you have a favorite tomato soup recipe? Please let me know in the comments below!

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I mentioned here all the wonderful benefits of including gelatin in your diet. Since you are all dedicated and loyal readers whom savor my every word ;-), I will not repeat the health benefits of eating gelatin daily.

Every morning I dissolve about a teaspoon of gelatin into my coffee or tea. And then sometimes we make this healthy jello treat for the whole family to share. I initially developed this recipe for my son in order to help heal up his gut damage, especially for a first food after having the stomach flu. I had gone to the store to purchase Jell-o brand jello cups for him after he was sick, took one look at the ingredient label (and the price – $5.00 for 4 cups!?) and put it right back on the shelf!

Did you just yell “Holy Mackerel!”? I did. This sugar-free version is full of GMOs, preservatives, artificial colors and sweeteners, which are neurotoxins. Further, the gelatin they use is not grass-fed. The source matters! I do not wish to consume or feed my children animal products full of anti-biotics and hormones, nor do I wish to support the factory farming industry, which grossly mistreats animals. That is why only I use this brand of gelatin.

This is a healing recipe perfect for the whole family. Gelatin and probiotics are both great for the digestive tract and therefore immune supporting because approximately 70% of our immune system is located in the gut!. And once again, I bring you a super easy recipe!

Have you ever tried Kombucha? You can buy it at an mid-to-upscale grocery store. It is delicious! Kombucha is a fermented tea which is made from beneficial bacteria and yeasts. It is helpful in detoxification and digestion, as it provides many of the enzymes and good bacteria your body needs to operate. It is carbonated and a great replacement for soda. Try some today! It comes in many flavors and you can substitute any for this recipe.